Alleged home invasion girl Grace Heard behind bars after taking drugs into courthouse
A woman who allegedly stormed a Mornington home traumatising a young mother and her kids has been locked up after breaching bail less than 24-hours after being warned by a judge to stay out of trouble.
South East
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A southeastern suburbs druggie who allegedly committed a terrifying home invasion with her younger brother is behind bars after she took a bag of drugs into a courthouse.
Grace Heard, 21, was remanded in custody on Tuesday after facing a bail revocation hearing in the County Court.
Heard was caught with the drugs after entering a magistrates’ court to sign bail paperwork on September 4.
She had fronted Judge Michael McInerney just a day earlier during an application to vary bail hearing.
Judge McInerney gave Heard a chance to go on the straight and narrow after the she sought permission to move from her father’s Mornington home to a house in either Cranbourne or Narre Warren.
Judge Michael McInerney said during that hearing Heard was “technically in breach of bail” after he was told she used GHB and twice failed to appear at the door when police knocked.
“You’re very lucky the prosecution is not seeking to revoke your bail,” Judge McInerney said.
“I have a priority to protect the community … not your rehabilitation.”
Judge McInerney, who said Heard originally “got bail by the skin of teeth”, granted her application but with a stern warning.
“Stay off the drugs,” he said.
However, the prosecution mobilised to revoke bail after Heard’s latest breach resulted in a conviction.
A detective told Tuesday’s hearing he suspected Heard’s dad kicked her out for using drugs but he couldn’t prove it as the dad was “not exactly co-operative with police”.
Judge McInerney said Heard’s “brazen” breach was “just so disrespectful of the opportunity”.
“(She’s) walked into a courthouse to sign her bail papers in possession of drugs,” Judge McInerney said.
Heard’s barrister told the court her client was undertaking treatment for heroin addiction and being remanded could affect the support she was building in the community.
“She’s had plenty of time and plenty of opportunity,” Judge McInerney said.
“She is a risk of committing further offending in the community … it’s unacceptable.”
Heard’s lawyer asked for an adjournment her client could show to the court she was on the path of a drug free rehabilitation.
“But how long is that going to take and what is going to happen in the meantime,” Judge McInerney said.
“They (drugs) don’t come free of charge … she must be paying for them somehow.
“I have a duty not just to your client but to the community … I can’t just do nothing when you (Heard) have gone and breached your bail.”
The defence also applied to vary bail so Heard could live with her sister and another convicted criminal on bail but Judge McInerney said that wasn’t going to happen.
Judge McInerney compromised and offered Heard’s lawyer extra time to gather material supportive of her client’s rehabilitation but Heard would be remanded.
This proposition was accepted without opposition from the prosecution.
Heard is awaiting trial for an alleged terrifying Mornington home invasion.
Heard and her brother Josh Heard allegedly stormed their victim’s home just before 7.30pm on July 25 last year.
Josh armed with an axe and Grace with a cricket bat allegedly snuck into the house via an unlocked side door while the victim’s husband was not home.
Grace — who the court heard was the ”primary offender” – allegedly snatched her victim’s iPhone, grabbed her hair and pulled her into the hallway.
The traumatised children were separated from their mother and placed in the loungeroom.
The frightened mother couldn’t remember her codes so Josh “lifted the axe” to her face and threatened to break her nose, the court heard.
The siblings were later arrested.
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